Wednesday, April 18, 2007

There will be many opportunities this spring to help remove garlic-mustard, an invasive introduced weed, from Strouds Run State Park, City-owned preserve land, The Ridges, and along the Hockhocking-Adena Bikeway. Doing so will help protect our native flora. Garlic-mustard reproduces prolifically, producing as many as 20,000 seedlings per square meter, displacing the diverse wildflowers and ferns that were there before the mustard invaded. Garlic-mustard also suppresses the fungal partners (called mycorrhizae) in the root system of most trees (and many other plants), which the trees depend on to help absorb enough water and minerals from the soil.

Everyone is welcome to participate in any of the events, whether or not you are affiliated with the sponsoring organizations. You do not need to notify anyone in advance in order to participate, but a contact person is listed below for each event in case you have questions. In general, heavy rain will cancel the outing but a light drizzle will not.

What to bring: drinking water, bag lunch or snack, sun protection, sturdy footwear, garden gloves (optional, but recommended if you are allergic to poison-ivy). No tools are needed; the mustard plants pull out easily. Dates of the pulls are April 21 and 28 and May 5. See below locations and times. Call Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-4938 for more info.

Other Volunteer Opportunities(from calendar at left)

04/21 - Monday Creek Clean-up with the Boy Scouts, contact Matt Miller at 740-394-2047 for more info about volunteering.

04/21 – Garlic Mustard Pull, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (volunteers may come for a portion of the day only, signs will be posted directing late-comers to the work area), Strouds Run State Park (along and North of Haley Trail), meet at Dow Lake Dam parking area off US-50. Contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-2090 for more info. Students needing a ride can meet behind Porter Hall at 8:40. The vans will return at 4 p.m.

04/28 - Friends of the Lower Muskingum River Clean-up, 10 a.m., meet at the Stockport Lock parking lot. Trash bags & gloves will be provided and all participants get a free t-shirt! call the Friends of the Lower Muskingum River office at 740-374-4170 for more info.

04/29 – Garlic Mustard Pull, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., meet in the parking lot behind Hampton Inn next to University Mall. Contact Tanner Filyaw at 740-767-2090 for more info. Students needing a ride can meet behind Porter Hall at 8:40. The vans will return at 4 p.m.